Montrose

Montrose since its inception has represented Houston’s counterculture. Like, think of it as the Austin of Houston, but more so.

“Indeed, when Austin was still a relatively straitlaced Southern college town, Montrose had already unfurled its freak flag. … Montrose, and not Austin, as the true birthplace of Texas counterculture.” — Texas Monthly

We define Montrose to be bordered by Shepherd Dr. to the west, Buffalo Bayou to the north, and Southwest Fwy to the south, and Taft/Tuam/527 Spur to the east. The history of the small neighborhood, which dates back to 1911, hosts one of the world’s largest gay pride parades and is home to award-winning restaurants and bars, while still managing to be a pretty residential neighborhood.

The eclectic spirit of Montrose constantly draws us in and we’re constantly found hanging out in this part of town!

What you need to know

Most of Houston has a pretty fair building occupancy to parking spot ratio. A lot of older Montrose buildings are grandfathered in and don’t have to follow that fun little rule. In summary, parking SUCKS. Plenty of places valet (for free!) and there are street parkings, but follow the rules. You WILL get ticketed or towed.

Mark your calendars for GREEKFEST! The annual event is historic. Grab your friends, pile up a plate of tiropitas and hummus and pop open a bottle of wine. More here.

Montrose is also mostly known as Houston’s gay neighborhoodgayborhood. While, yes, there are several gay bars in the area, know Montrose is so much more than that, however rejoice in the history of our fun mecca of culture.

Westhiemer is a pivotal Houston street that stretches all the way from close to Downtown to the Katy suburbs. It’s straight the entire way, except for the infamous Westheimer Curve which is surrounded by Montrose nightlife–bars, tattoo parlors, late night taco shops, discos and more! This stretch is particularly lively during Halloween, where many bars block off their parking lots and throw a massive street party! If the nightlight scene isn’t enough for you in Montrose, you’re walking distance to some spots in Midtown and are only a short cab ride away to Downtown and Washington Ave.

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